For UMES's Michael Myers, the future is now

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland -- To the unknowing eye, Michael Myers is as menacing as his fictional namesake from the Halloween horror films.

The 6-foot-9 inch, 245-pound wall of tattoo-masked muscle wreaked havoc on the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference this past season with a team-leading 15.8 points and seven rebounds a game, helping make this the most successful season the University of Maryland Eastern Shore has seen since 1974.

But the soft-spoken giant with a deep timbre in his voice and a deeper dedication to his friends and family has spent that last year trying to make people understand that the first impression — or even a misstep — doesn't make the man. The 22-year-old senior, who'll graduate in May with a degree in sociology, grew up on the streets of Camden, New Jersey, where many of his childhood friends have wound up dead or in prison.

"Camden is a tough environment. You have to keep your nose clean, stay out of trouble, try to avoid a lot of things, try to deal with positive people, surround yourself with positive people, stay out of trouble," Myers said.

"Family-wise, we struggling. Not going to lie about that. I'm real dependent on my family (emotionally). I want to get my family out of there, out of the slums."

CONTINUE READING